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Town of Wake Forest (2025) Print
2025 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Bike Audits
└ Bike Audits
The Town of Wake Forest examined why older adults and other residents interested in biking often avoid local streets due to disconnected and unsafe infrastructure. Through a series of bike audits involving volunteers from the Senior Center, participants documented where bike lanes end abruptly, crossings felt unsafe and routes failed to connect neighborhoods to greenways. The audits produced clear, location-specific findings and recommendations prepared for planning staff and elected officials. Volunteers noted that riders often gather downtown and then leave town to stay safe, highlighting missed opportunities for local travel. The results are positioned to inform age-friendly planning and support future investments such as safer crossings, clearer signage and expanded bike facilities.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Montgomery, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Bike Audits
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Ottawa, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Ottawa lacked safe biking routes, leaving older adults and families without secure options for active travel. Volunteers rode key corridors to flag hazards and propose quick fixes, shaping a grant application for a new bike path and plans for downtown bike racks. The effort sparked lasting engagement: a task force formed to push improvements, and residents who once had no outlet for their passion for biking are now driving change. One volunteer said that she is excited to see more bike parks in the community as well as other necessary amenities.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Richmond, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Cracked asphalt trails at Four Corners Park limited safe walking and biking for older adults and stalled plans for a tricycle lending program. Fit Houston led two audits with county staff and participants age 50-plus, identifying hazards and advocating for improvements. The effort prompted Fort Bend County to allocate $600,000 for a new 12- to 14-foot concrete trail and spurred collaboration on mapping regional trail connections. Educational materials for trike safety were also developed, giving older adults a role in shaping safer, more accessible recreation spaces.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Wake Forest, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older residents faced safety and mobility challenges when walking through town, including missing sidewalk connections and obstacles that made short trips less predictable. These gaps limited independence for older adults and others with physical challenges, especially near housing, schools and shopping areas. The Town of Wake Forest addressed the issue by conducting a series of walk audits in different parts of town, starting downtown. Older volunteers documented barriers and identified specific improvements needed to make walking safer and more continuous. Findings were compiled into a presentation for planning staff and elected officials. One audit revealed a sidewalk that stopped short of connecting affordable housing to nearby shops, forcing residents to walk in traffic. That example helped inform discussions tied to the Age-Friendly Action Plan and future decisions about sidewalk connectivity and pedestrian investment.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Wake Forest, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Transportation Other
Description: This project will install new crosswalks and ADA-compliant curb cuts on a busy road to improve safety and mobility for older adults and residents. The updates will make it easier to walk between downtown, neighborhoods and community facilities.
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